The Journal of Regression Therapy
Extra-Terrestrial Contact Experiences:
How Regression Therapy Can Help
by Barbara Lamb, M.S., M.F.C.C.
The following paper deals with a highly controversial topic, extra-terrestrial abductee reports. Although this topic seem altogether too controversial to some of our readers, the Editors suggest that you put skepticism aside as you read this paper. We did, qnd we're glad we did The author is a noted authority on the phenomena of abductee reports and their treatment, and her paper is of valuable information. We think it is also fascinating, and hope you do too. Ms. Lamb begins the paper with the following quotation, and it is a good one to begin with.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)
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Regression therapy is the most helpful and effective way I know for getting to the source of a continuing problem, whether past or present life. Sometimes, however, the source of people’s distress is experiences that they may have had with extraterrestrial beings. These beings cause various responses in the people whom they contact, ranging from wonder, awe, and enlightenment to extreme anxiety, phobias, and sometimes, inability to function. For people with any of these responses, regression therapy and integration work can help them assimilate and make sense of their bizarre experiences and function well in their lives, even though these experiences may continue to happen to them.
Many ancient sources indicate interaction between extra-terrestrials and humans may have been occurring for thousands of years. In recent times, contacts and abductions have been reported since the late 1940’s. According to polls, at least five million Americans have had these experiences, and it is a world-wide phenomenon.
After practicing psychotherapy for fifteen years and past life therapy for six, I began to find through regression work that some of my clients had been having life-long experiences with extra-terrestrial beings. I have regressed at least eighty-five people to these episodes and I am currently working with fifteen abductees; I conduct a monthly support group for them as well.
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Conducting Therapy With Abductees
The field of therapeutic work with abductees is relatively new. The first case on record occurred in 1966 when psychiatrist Benjamin Simon hypnotically regressed Betty and Barney Hill to their disturbing abduction in New England. New to this experience, Dr. Simon concluded that the Hills must be suffering a "shared delusion." Since that time, unfortunately, most mental health practitioners have failed to come to grips with the abduction phenomenon. Thus, abductee clients are usually misdiagnosed, mismedicated, and mis-therapied. This leaves them feeling misunderstood (as they are) and worse than before they sought help. Furthermore, family members often laugh at them or call them crazy. They quickly learn to keep their severe anxieties about their experiences very private.
Most abductees are not medically or psychiatrically disturbed. This is amazing, considering the intensity of the trauma they have experienced. They are actually normal people to whom very unusual things have happened. Now that the subject is aired more publicly in the media, they realize that their bizarre experiences are related to other abduction reports, and they may share their stories with researchers in the UFO field long before daring to tell a therapist. They are relieved to be taken seriously, and to have their experiences validated, but they still need therapeutic help to deal with them.
There are no agreed-upon procedures for working with abductees, and there are few psychotherapists open to the phenomenon and willing to take these people seriously. However, I believe that regression therapists have the necessary skills for working with abductees. They can help the abductee uncover the buried memories, even though the aliens have specifically told them "not to remember" anything. Fortunately, everything that has happened is recorded in their unconscious minds, and as in past life work, it can be retrieved through regression. This enables expression and release of the associated feelings and the eventual integration of the experience into the conscious life.
The initial contact with an abductee is important, whether in person or by letter or telephone. They are "afraid to tell," so it is crucial to be open-minded and to take what they say seriously, even though you do not yet know if they are true abductees. A good option is to send them a "life history questionnaire" and an "information kit" about regression work. Also, ask them to write brief descriptions of anything they think might be related to their abduction experience, including dreams, sensing unusual beings in their room, flashbacks, conscious UFO sightings, "missing time" experiences, or anything else that seems relevant. It is also important to tell them from the start that if they discover through regression that they are abduc-tees, their lives and their notions of reality will be changed forever.
In the initial face-to-face interview, as with any other client it is important to determine whether any other kind of crisis or major life issue is going on, whether there is a history of abuse, and whether they have psychiatric symptoms or serious depression. These issues must be dealt with first. In reviewing the client’s history of possible abduction-related happenings, look for where the emotional intensity is; look for important interruptions in the client’s life, or for symptoms such as "irrational" anxieties, flashbacks, vivid dreams. Explore the client’s fear of uncovering possible abduction material, and discuss what it is likely to mean in their life if they discover that they have actually had the experiences. Clients may feel that they are going "insane." It is necessary to reassure them that they are not. They may need help in setting up good support systems; these are important to help them feel stable and accepted as they go through the regression work. Acknowledge their courage in coming to see you for help.
During the first sessions it is important not to indicate whether or not you believe the client has experienced a true abduction. The client should draw his or her own conclusions about this, but should not do this until after one or two regression sessions. Asking the client to rate the "reality" of the regression experiences by means of a scale from 0 to 10, with zero representing "dream or fantasy" and ten indicating "it was real" may help them make this decision. A few tens may be a good reason to continue exploring the possibility that the client is truly an abductee.
As always before beginning any regression work, some further preparation should be done, and it is the kind of preparation that all competent past life therapists use with their clients. A description of hypnosis may be needed; I also like to assess the client’s primary "mode," whether visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or intuitive knowing; and it is essential to reassure these clients that some "higher guide" will protect them and that you will be with them "every step of the way." They need to know that it is not important to relive all of an abduction experience at one session, and that you will end the sessions any time they wish. You are dealing with frightened clients and they need all possible reassurance as well as, perhaps, a bit of practice at getting into the altered state and trusting you, as therapist, when they are in it.
Abductees may consciously recall some elements of their abductions. At first, some clients remember only fragments; others think they remember all of it only to discover later, through regression, that there was much more that they had forgotten. Some remember absolutely nothing for years until "triggered" by something such as a picture of an alien or a UFO. As a ml; amnesia is rendered upon the abductee by the aliens; this is very powerful and may be reinforoed by the abductS’s own denial. Unconsciously, many clients feel bonded with the aliens and feel disloyal by remembering. Such clients need to be reassured that they have a right to know, that no harm will come to them or to the aliens by. remembering and sharing, and reminded that they have survived the experience.
In beginning the first regression, it is best to allow the client to choose the focus, the "subject" on which to work. This may be something the client is aware of, such as a dream, a particular fear, a fragment of memory, or whatever else seems meaningful to the client. Or it might be "open ended," in which case you direct the client’s psyche to take him or her to the experience that it is most appropriate to examine at this time.
Whatever material comes forward, it should be explored as thoroughly as possible, much as in past life work. As usual, leading questions or suggestions should be avoided, and one should assume that some traumatic material will not appear during the first few sessions. These fearful clients should not be forced. Slowly, slowly, is the rule here, following the client’s lead. Before ending the session, the direction "move ahead to the conclusion of this experience" is a good one because it allows a closure, even a temporary one, of the material in that session.
The frequency of abductions varies from person to person, but regression indicates that most abductees have been abducted more than once, often many times, starting in childhood. Intervals between abductions may be weeks, months, or years; some may have had several abductions in one night. Some at first recall only frightening events, but discover during later regressions that they have been interacting with a variety of aliens and that their experience has been enlightening as well as frightening. I encourage my abductee clients to continue with their regressions, so they can discover these positive aspects of the experience as well as the more negative elements of it.
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Indications of Having Abductee Experiences
There are many indications that a person may be an abductee, and therapists should be alert for these special clues. The abductee often has on-going "irrational" anxiety, disorientation, confusion, and frequent panic attacks. At the worst the person may discontinue work or school or other activities. He or she may have fears of doctors’ offices, hospitals, and medical instruments and procedures; this fear may be so extreme that the person avoids needed treatment Places where light is diffused, such as airports or other large public spaces, may bring on panic attacks. Sexual and relationship problems are often found, and the person may have difficulty trusting others, especially authority figures. He or she may exhibit compulsive or addictive behaviors; the person may also exhibit psychic abilities and experiences. Abductees may also fear animal eyes, owl eyes, spiders, snakes, and praying mantis insects.
Fears involving nighttime are strong clues. Abductees may have fears of the dark, of being left alone, of going to bed, of falling asleep, of their bedroom closet, of being "watched," of driving alone at night, and of being followed by bright lights. They may have unusual sleeping habits, such as sleeping fully clothed with shoes by the side of the bed, or sleeping next to the wall, or they may wake at a particular time at night, every night, or may do everything possible to stay awake until that particular
time has passed. They will probably suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders. The person may describe being "slammed" awake, or have the sensation of having been dropped to the mattress from above. They may wake in strange positions on the bed or somewhere else in the house or even several miles away; they may wake with grass or dirt on their feet. Their hair may be completely wet when they wake; they may have their sleeping clothes on backwards, or they may find themselves wearing clothing that is not their own.
There are also physical clues to be watched for. An abductee may wake with mysterious marks: Small scoop-shaped scars, triangular bum marks, a bead of pus in the navel, straight thin cuts, bruises in the shape of a grouping of fingertips, pin-prick marks. There may be a small lump near one ear or in the forehead. The person may feel frequent vibrations in the forehead; their ears may ring or buzz, or they may feel pressure in their ears. They may have had frequent nosebleeds since childhood and may sometimes wake to find drops of blood on their pillow. Chronic sinusitis and other nasal problems are often found; chronic headaches are also common, especially in the sinus area, in one ear, or behind one eye. They may have back or neck problems, soreness in the genitals, or stiffness anywhere in the body. They may have pronounced sensitivity to certain lights and sounds, and electronic equipment may turn off or misfunction when they are near. Women may say they became pregnant without having had sexual activity, and then two or three months later found that the fetus had mysteriously disappeared. Or they may say they discovered that one of a pair of twins had vanished from the womb, with the cord cut and sutured perfectly.
Abductees may remember being paralysed, unable to call out, being levitated and floated out though a window or a solid wall, and then transported up on a beam of light and into a spaceship where various procedures happen. Although many clients do not recall these last clues when they start their regressions, some do; or these experiences will emerge during the regressions themselves.
I will briefly describe below the kinds of experiences that abductees report. Then I will return to more specific therapy considerations.
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Different Types of Extra-Terrestrial Beings
According to reports from thousands of people world-wide, there are many types of aliens. They can be tall or short, hairy or bald, uncaring or compassionate. Perhaps the most common type is the "little grays:" three to four feet tall, they have grayish skin, big black almond-shaped eyes, tiny noses, small slits for mouths, no outside ear flaps, very large heads with pointed chins, no hair, and thin and delicate-looking bodies. They move stiffly, like robots, and they are described as very matter-of-fact, going about their tasks diligently and efficiently, with no regard for the abductee's re-actions. Similar in general appearance are the "little whites," who seem much sweeter and gentler and less threatening to be with. Both the little grays and the little whites conduct the actual abductions; sometimes they also perform medical procedures right there in the abductee’s bedroom.
There are other gray beings, of various heights but all with large, black, almond-shaped eyes. Some of these stare into the abductee’s eyes from an inch away, seeming to draw out all the person's thoughts and memories: this is a most frightening experience for the abductee. There are bronze-colored and whitish aliens of five-feet eight or nine inches; some of these have large, faceted eyes. Others are short white aliens with huge pointed ears and big feet, and very tall white aliens with wispy hair and skin drawn very tightly over the skull-like face. Some aliens are reported to look like "Sasquatch," very large and with hairy, shaggy skin.
Very disconcerting are some large reptilian types, with snake-like eyes and uneven skin often described as alligator-like; some have natural armored plates covering their chests. They are adult human male in size, and look strong and muscular. They appear to be aggressive and arrogant and are said to mate with human females. Another type is the tall, thin "praying mantis" alien, with huge bug-like eyes and extremely thin arms and legs. As repellant as they might appear, they often turn out to be unconditionally loving and kind. Once an abductee gets past the unusual appearance, he or she usually reports a great fondness for these beings. Shorter, stockier bug-like aliens with big bulging eyes do not seem to radiate that kind of lovingness, and are shunned by abductees.
Some aliens appear quite human-like, including the "hybrid" type. These seem to be a combination of human and extra-terrestrial. They often seem human at a distance, but appear alien upon closer contact. Their eyes seem more human than alien, but their expression and demeanor are non-responsive. Allegedly, some hybrids who look human enough sometimes intermingle on earth with humans.
Most aliens wear robes or spacesuits of varying kinds. Although there is no apparent indication of what we would call gender, abductees do identify them as "male" or "female." Some seem more attuned to the needs and feelings of humans than others; one of my clients learned that the degree of understanding of human beings depends on which aliens have had human incarnations and how recently those incarnations were.
One well-publicized type is the "men in black," who come to UFO investigators’ or abductees’ offices or homes to confiscate material evidence of alien activity, especially when the material contains information about alien technology or human-government involvement with aliens and abductees. These beings seem robot-like and may, in fact, be robots. They look human at first glance, but have unusual eyes that they cover with dark sunglasses. They dress in ill-fitting mens’ suits and hats of 1940’s style, and speak in monotone, "canned" voices, as if it takes a great deal of effort for them to speak. They demand the materials they are seeking and threaten to appear in the person’s sleep until the materials are turned over to them. They seem intimidating, but soon their energy seems to run down and they stagger toward the door and leave. They have been observed "disappearing" halfway along the sidewalk.
Many of the aliens described above work together cooperatively during abductions of humans. Certain ones come to take the abductee to the spaceship; others perform medical procedures on an examining table. Still others do deep scanning through the abductee’s eyes, and another type comforts the abductees by touching their foreheads with one hand. A "leader" type watches from the background. Some aliens do complicated healing procedures; they are reported to have healed such things as cancer and a hole in the heart.
After the medical or sexual procedures are completed, abductees are sometimes taken to another room and shown "holographic" scenes of earth catastrophes such as nuclear destruction or, sometimes, pleasant scenes. Sometimes the aliens "stage" events, such as the abductee’s child being struck by a car, or an amorous lover suddenly appearing. During this the aliens study the abductees intently, watching their reactions as if they are trying to learn about human emotions.
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Ljfelong Experiences
People begin their alien contacts early in life, sometimes before birth, and the experiences will continue throughout their lives. One male client was healed by an alien of a congenital hole in his heart while he was still in the womb. The procedure lasted until the man was forty-eight, when he was operated upon by human doctors. Many people begin their experiences shortly after birth and they continue to be abducted throughout childhood. As children they responded to these contacts in various ways, ranging from terror to thoroughly enjoying their "special friends." Children are taken from their beds at night or from wherever they are playing during the daytime, medically examined on the spaceship, apparently to be sure they are healthy, and sometimes given a tour of the craft. Some children are introduced to "hybrid" children and asked to play with them and teach them how human children play.
When children enter adolescence, an additional, very traumatic, experience begins. There seems to be an on-going interbreeding program: Eggs or sperm are removed from the adolescent abductee, then apparently mixed with alien reproductive substances so that hybridization can take place. A month or so later the girls are abducted again and implanted with this hybrid fetus. They realize they are pregnant and some have had the pregnancy confirmed by doctors. A few weeks later they are abducted again and the fetuses are removed and placed in containers of special fluid. The girls suddenly realize that they are no longer pregnant, and yet they know they have not had an abortion or miscarriage. Months later these same girls are again taken aboard the spaceship and asked to hold their "babies," who do not look entirely human. They are frail and pale, with large, penetrating eyes and strange heads. The girls are urged to hold, love, and bond with these unusual babies during these visits. During the next several years these women could be part of this reproductive process several times, usually without much conscious awareness. If these things have occurred the memories could come back in regressions.
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Physical vs. Astral Abductions
People are abducted for a variety of experiences by a variety of aliens. Physical experiences include medical examinations, reproductive procedures (including sexual intercourse with aliens), testing of their body fluids, insertion and replacement of implants, relating to their hybrid offspring, testing of emotional reactions, and sometimes being suspended in large tanks of strange liquid. Obviously, different abductees react in different ways to these experiences. "Astral" experiences include being taken by the "little whites" to a state described as a "web of learning," where they learn healing, psychic, ecological, and technological skills, piloting spaceships, how to help surviving humans after massive earth disasters, and other subjects. Perhaps for their own sense of security, these abductees construct in their minds a setting that seems appropriate for this kind of learning: A school, a laboratory, a library, a temple of learning, or some similar setting, although they are actually experiencing a non-physical place and state of being.
Any abductee may experience combinations of physical and astral, positive and negative experiences. Abductees may encounter many different kinds of aliens over time, often during one abduction. Some abductees have terrifying experiences at the beginning of an experience but end up feeling thrilled to be face to face with enlightened, spiritual beings; some abductees become able to channel meaningful information from these beings.
Whether the experience is to be physical or astral, it begins with the abductee being rendered paralysed and amnesic. My clients have told me that this is necessary to prevent their flailing out in fright and anger, and to enable the particles of their bodies to separate enough to move through a solid wall or closed window. Because this part of the experience seems to be intrusive and non-optional, the abductee usually reacts negatively, even if the experience turns out to be a positive one.
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Unusual Variations ofAbduction Experiences
Occasionally past life clients report that they have been abducted by aliens in a past life, whether or not they are having these exper-iences in this life. They may learn that they themselves were aliens in past lives, sent into earth incarnations for special purposes. They may be meant to serve as "windows" for their own original group of beings to learn about human beings and life on earth; they may be needed to contribute "breeding stock" to save their own original dying alien race. Through channeling we have been told that all conscious, intelligent beings in the universe are from the same source and are able to incarnate on each other’s planets and dimensions, and that each intelligent species goes to the same spirit plane between incarnations.
Some abductees discover during regressions that they actually collaborate with the aliens during abductions. They may help convince other humans to go aboard space ships, help with medical procedures, or co-pilot spaceships. Some people report that they are delegates to large council meetings comprised of aliens from many different planets. Still others travel long distances in a spaceship while suspended in pods of special fluid. Some learn to like the aliens, and some find that they have alien spouses and children; some women sincerely wish that they could see their hybrid offspring more often and bring those children home to raise here on earth.
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Transformational Aspects
Some abductees do not experience what is happening to them as invasive or traumatic. They believe that all of their abduction experiences, even medical procedures, are basically positive. These people deliberately look for the deeper meaning of their experiences; this may be the only way they can tolerate what has happened to them and will continue to happen. But people who look for these positive aspects usually find them. Many abductees come to believe that the alien/human interaction is ultimately a benevolent one and that some of the aliens are extremely concerned about the ways in which we are destroying our precious earth. They want to help us to change our ways and to save our planet before it is too late.
These people find a spiritual dimension in their abductions. They may accept the aliens as intermediate beings between themselves and God, or the primal source of creation, or cosmic consciousness. They liken the aliens to angels, spirit guides, light beings, or enlightened beings. During their abductions they feel that they are returning to their cosmic home, beyond time and space, to an incredibly beautiful realm. They feel joyous, with a changed sense of their owil place in the cosmic design, and a heightened sense of awe for the natural world. They come to see our notions of space and time as non-relevant, and sense themselves to be in multiple times and places at the same moment. They may weep with sadness when they leave this realm and return to their humdrum lives on earth, and they sometimes remain depressed for a time because of the loss of these glorious experiences.
When abductees realize that their consciousness is separate from their bodies, they can identify with the countless beings beyond space/time and beyond. They become aware of the cycles of birth and death on earth and on other planets as well; they become less ego-attached to their present-day personalities and may identify with the aliens during abductions. They may feel themselves to be blended with the aliens at times.
This transformation of the initially frightening experience may be a goal for therapy with these abductees. Since abduction experiences are a part of their lives, will continue, and cannot be stopped, they must learn to live with them. Although all do not reach the levels of acceptance I have described, they should be helped to look upon these experiences as positively as they can.
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Moving Beyond Fear
It is important for abductees to move beyond their fear, because fear seems to attract the more negative aliens. If abductees act like scared animals when abducted, they will be treated like animals. They can easily become saturated with fear, unable to concentrate on much else. It helps the abductee to allow him/herself to feel the fear without holding on to it.
Abductees can learn to ask for a meaningful relationship with the aliens, and if they do they will more likely be treated more respectfully and more like a peer. Aliens seem to communicate telepathically with humans, and some abductees team to "test" the aliens who come to abduct them by telepathically asking "Who are you?" If the aliens refuse to answer or emit negative vibrations, the abductee can refuse to go with them. If the beings say they are "from the Light" and emit positive vibrations, the abductee might choose to let the experience happen, knowing that they will very likely have some positive experiences. Learning to exercise this control is a good way of lessening the fear they had of an entirely uncontrolled exper-ience. Abductees also learn to ask the aliens for any information they want to know, such as why the aliens are here and what are they doing. I encourage abductees to ask these questions during both the regression and any subsequent abduction experiences; usually very meaningful information is gathered. The knowledge that they can do this relieves their fear of the unknown and the bizarre.
As some abductees move through and beyond their fear they sometimes ask the aliens to appear when they are fully awake, and in the light of day, for a conscious face-to-face contact during which they can build mutual rapport. This does not always work out as planned; some clients who ask for such a meeting become upset and react negatively when their wish is granted. But others manage to control their reactions and have a conscious and positive experience of relating to the beings and visiting the spaceship.
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The Processes of Therapy
As noted above, many of the processes of regression with abductees are those used by all good past life therapists. However, there are some special considerations. These clients will probably not remember all that emerges during regressions, and they should not be forced to deal with material they do not remember after the session. They will remember it eventually. Also, "homework’1 is very useful in working with abductees. This may be drawing and/or writing down whatever they remember from each regression, keeping a journal, writing down anything unusual that happens such as flashbacks or "triggered" memories, as well as their reactions to their regression sessions. As with other clients, any homework that engages them in the on-going processes of therapy is helpful, and it is especially helpful with abductee clients.
During regressions, in order to make sense of the bizarre material as it emerges, abductees may "fill in the gaps:" they need permission not to remember everything at once. Sooner or later it will all make sense. Also, it is often necessary to allow them to examine traumatic material without feeling it, as if observing it only, for the first uncovering or two. "Freezing time" is also a good technique to use to allow the client to examine only one traumatic incident at a time.
Most abductees, at least at first, have a pervasive fear of the next abduction. There are various techniques that will help them. Some useful ones are: 1) creating and practicing a "no fear" mantra; 2) imagining, in meditation, remaining calm while aliens come into their room and and abduct them; 3) practicing communicating with the aliens and asking questions; 4) building up a core of inner strength that "no alien could ever take;" 5) looking for positive elements in the abductions. These strategies will help them be less afraid of the next abduction.
From the beginning, encourage these clients to find whatever positive elements in their experiences they can find. They need to be empowered, to find out if they asked questions during the abductions and what the answers were, to discover the purposes the aliens have for abducting them. This empowerment will eventually lead to the awareness of the spiritual aspects of their experiences, and these will help them accept them and live with them in the future.
It is probably wise to avoid weekly regressions with abductees. They need time to assimilate the experiences they recall during regressions. However, it is a good idea to continue sessions or phone contacts between regressions. Although they may not be able to tolerate frequent sessions, they must feel that you are available to them for encouragement and support: you are on their side, and you may be the only person they know who is.
Abductees go through a roller coaster of responses as regressions proceed. They move from initial denial, anger, blocking, fear, and depression through gradual acceptance and dawning curiosity into awareness of themselves as being "at choice" in the experience. But the process is a long one and they move back and forth from one reaction to another, often backwards, along this continuum. There is also an element of grief that emerges as their previous notions of reality are shattered and changed forever. Through all of this, it is important for the therapist to accept the whole continuum and to remain a stable container.
One thing that therapists should be aware of is that abductees may be especially vulnerable to entity attachments, because they have suffered so much tenor during their abductions. One should examine for these early in therapy; with abductees, the entity may actually be an alien entity. Any such entities should, of course, be released as soon as possible. Abductees may also channel benign aliens, and this can be most rewarding for client and therapist alike. For some clients, full awareness of the spiritual dimension of their experiences comes when such alien beings channel through them during regres-sions. The implants sometimes inserted in abductee’s heads seem to facilitate the channeling process.
I have mentioned support groups; they are extremely beneficial to abductees after they have had a few regressions, but premature joining of such a group may contaminate the abductee’s already confused memories. But when they are ready to join, in these groups they find people who believe them and who have shared similar experiences. Here they can speak freely and know they are understood; they feel sane and normal, no longer alone but part of a network of friends that provides resources such as suggested reading, conferences, and methods of coping with difficult situations. Even a small support group can help the abductee client and the therapist who works with such clients would do well to provide one for them. Although it is helpful to have the therapist present during meetings, the therapist should take a passive role and serve as another resource for information rather than as a leader.
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Working with Children
There are special considerations when working with children. For one thing, hypnotic regression should be avoided as it can overpower them with frightening memories. Nor do they need it. Usually, children’s recall is close to the surface, ready to emerge when they find a friendly, accepting person. If you are in doubt about their story, show them pictures of well-known figures such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or a witch, and include a picture of a little gray alien. If they have been having abductee experiences they will react strongly to the picture and tell you all about their
experiences with them. They need reassurance that many children have these experiences and that we are trying to find out more about them. It is best to enlist their sense of curiosity and adventure, and encourage their positive experiences, because later, in their adolescence, they may have to endure some unpleasant medical and sexual experiences. If they look upon their abductions positively this coming time may be easier for them.
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Therapy for the Therapist
Therapists, who work with abductees can be strongly affected emotionally by their clients’ recalls and by the obvious challenges to their own preconceived notions of reality. Also, with abductees, you cannot change the future: they will continue to be abducted. This is distressing to therapists, who want to help clients "get better." It helps to attend conferences and talk about these reactions with researchers and other therapists who work with abductees, to form networks with them, and to read widely about the phenomenon.
I encourage all regression therapists to be open to finding the clues indicating that a client might be an abductee, and if they are found, to venture forth,, with their best therapeutic skills. As more people are experiencing abductions, it is increasingly important that qualified regression therapists be available to recognize their plight and meet their needs. If the time comes, as it may, when massive sightings of UFO’s and extra-terrestrials occur on earth, these therapists will be needed to help others understand what is going on.
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Selected Readings
Druffel, A., & Rogo, D.S. (1980). The Tujunga Canyon Contacts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Signet.
Fowler, R.E. (1993). The Allagash AbductIon: Undeniable Evidence ofAlien Intervention. Tigard, OR.:
Wild Flower Press.
----------(1979). The Andreasson Affair. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Fiore, E. (1989). Encounters: A Psychologist Reveals Case Studies ofAbductions by Ertraterrestrials. New York: Ballantine.
Hopkins, B. (1981). Missing Time: A Documented Study of UFO Abductions. New York: Richard Marek.
----------(1987). Intruders: The Incredible Visitations at Copley Woods. New York: Random House.
Howe L.M. (1993). Glimpses of Other Realities, Vol. 1: Facts and Eyewitnesses. Huntingdon Valley, PA:
LMH Productions.
Jacobs, D. (1992). Secret Life: Firsthand Accounts of UFO Abductions. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Mack, J.E. (1992). Why the abduction phenomenon cannot be explained psychiatrically. Proceedings of the 1992 Abduction Study Conference at MIT. Cambridge, MA: North Cambridge Press.
----------(1994). Human Encounters with Aliens: Abduction. New York: Charles Scribners Sons.
Pritchard, A; Pritchard, D.E., Mack, J.E., et al, (Eds.). (1994). Alien Discussions: Proceedings of the Abduction Study Conference. Cambridge, MA: North Cambridge Press.
Strieber, W. (1987). Communion. New York: Avon.
----------(1988). Transformation. New York: Avon.
----------(1995). Breakthrough, The Next Step. New York: Harper Collins.
Vallee, J. (1988). Dimensions: A Casebook ofAlien Contact, New York: Ballantine.
Barbara Lamb, MS., M.F.C.C. is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in private practice in Claremont, CA. She specializes in past We regression therapy and in regression therapy with extraterrestrial contactees and abductees. She currently trains and supervises psychotherapists in past ljfe therapy with the Professional Institute of Regression Therapy; she also trains qualjfled therapists in working with abductees. She lectures widely and has published numerous articles on these and other subjects. She is currently Executive Vice President of APRT and presents training Institutes for our organization. She is also a Board member of the Center for Crop Circle Studies in Los Angeles and is their primary lecture presenter.
Voices...
The air is full of souls; those who are nearest the earth decending to be tied to mortal bodies return to other bodies, desiring to live in them.
Philo Judaeus: De Somniis
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